Updated Recommendations for Concurrent Instruction

Hybrid learning is an educational model in which some students attend class in person, while others attend online. A specific form of hybrid learning is concurrent instruction, where in-person and online learners participate in the same lesson simultaneously. When Barrington 220 begins implementing our Hybrid 2.0 plan on January 19, some students and teachers will use the concurrent model.

Preparing for Concurrent Instruction

Learn more about concurrent teaching in the hybrid model, including recommended instructional modalities by watching this Concurrent Classroom Overview video, and you can read more about it in this previous bsd220tech article. 

Barrington High School iDAL coach Chris Ebel created a great video to show an optimal technology set-up for concurrent instruction using our existing devices. This set-up will work for almost every instructional modality we recommend. It’s a great place to start as you begin concurrent instruction, and you can create variations as you become more comfortable with the model. 

Concurrent Classroom Set Up

Preparing for Concurrent Instruction Checklist

Notes, Recommendations, and New Ideas

We’ve learned a lot since we last used concurrent instruction in the Fall. We’ve reached out to neighboring districts, tested and retested a variety of additional equipment, and experimented with different instructional modalities. Based on what we’ve learned, here are the latest recommendations. 

Using two devices (MacBook and iPad) provides the greatest flexibility. With two devices, you have access to three cameras and two microphones. This allows you to:

1. Use the MacBook Air for video, and the iPad for audio.
2. Use the iPad as a document camera when needed.
3. Move around the room with the iPad microphone and speaker making it easier for students at home to hear students in the classroom.
4. Use your MacBook Air camera for a steady video of the entire class, providing a sense of “being there” for the at-home students.
5. Mixed-location small groups work best when there is only one in-person student in each group. This can be accomplished by directing students which group to join. (Zoom has a new feature that allows students to select their own breakout room.)
6. The biggest challenge remains helping kids at home feel connected to the class. Instructional strategies that don't require you to split your attention, such as flipped classroom or station rotation, tend to work best. 

Instructional Modalities for Concurrent Learning

Modality	Description	Platform	Audio setup	Video setup
Whole Group
Discussion	All students participate in a class discussion.	Zoom	In-class students join without audio or don’t join. Teacher uses iPad mic and speaker.	Teacher connects the MacBook to the projection device. Display Zoom students using  “Grid view.”
Direct Instruction	The teacher introduces, demonstrates, or models a concept or skill.	Zoom	In-class students join without audio or don’t join. Teacher uses iPad mic and speaker.	Teacher connects the MacBook to the projection device. Display Zoom students using  “Grid view.”
Small Group
Location-specific conferencing	Groups of in-person students and at-home students meet separately.	Zoom Breakout rooms and in-person.	Remote students will join with audio. In-person students will mute. Teacher will use headphones to monitor breakout rooms.	Remote students join with video. In-person students will have cameras off.
Mixed-location conferencing	Groups of in-person and at-home students meet together.	Google Hangouts or Zoom Breakout Rooms.	Head-phones are recommended for in-person students. Teacher will use headphones to monitor breakout rooms.	Students manage video settings.
Small Group - Digital Collaboration	Groups of in-person and at-home students collaborate without video conferencing.	Padlet, Google Docs, JamBoard, etc.	N.A.	N.A.
Blended
Individual or Group	Self-directed learning.	Multiple	N.A.	N.A.

Please also take a look at Ben Rodriguez's Instructional Playbook for Concurrent Instruction.